They say when you’re too surprised, you can’t even scream.
The hand covering Lynette’s mouth was quiet but forceful.
Frightened, she tried her best to break free, but before she could struggle, she was dragged into nearby bushes.
Had she been caught? By whom? She had checked constantly right up until coming here, but no one had been following her.
Could Cledius have noticed and hired an assassin? Lynette turned her head in terror and saw a familiar face.
‘Shh.’
Though he made no sound, his eyes and the finger resting on his lips clearly said so. Lynette understood his intent and nodded.
Soon the man’s finger pointed beyond the bushes. There, a royal guard Lynette hadn’t noticed was just approaching, lighting a cigarette.
Lynette looked at the man still covering her mouth. Now that she got a better look, he was someone she’d occasionally seen at the mercenary camp. But what was his name again?
While she was deep in thought, the guard finished smoking, carelessly tossed his cigarette butt, and returned to his post.
So those guys were the culprits behind all the cigarette butts littering the palace grounds lately. Lynette rubbed her stiff neck.
The man only released Lynette after the guard had disappeared from view.
“Phew, I thought I was going to die from lack of air.”
“…I washed my hands.”
“Thank you so much. Whew, my heart’s still racing.”
Lynette stared at the man who had helped her while trying to calm her still-pounding heart.
“Um… so you’re a member of the mercenary group, right?”
“…Luth.”
“Ah, right. Luth. Thank you. I almost got caught back there.”
It seemed he was just as skilled at concealing his presence as Lebel. Lynette looked up regretfully, glancing around the greenhouse area. There was still no sign of activity from inside the greenhouse.
‘Should I call it quits for today?’
Her legs felt weak, probably from the shock earlier. If she got caught now, she might not even be able to run away. She was about to wrap up today’s mission with a faint sigh when-
“…Excuse me.”
“Oh my, how long have you been here? Member of the mercenary group…”
Wait. Lynette felt something strange. Was this what they call déjà vu? She could have sworn she’d seen him before, but why did it feel like she was meeting him again?
As she blinked blankly like someone in a trance, Luth mumbled dejectedly.
“…I’ve been here the whole time.”
Oops. She had completely forgotten about Luth’s presence because he was so quiet. Wasn’t he the kind benefactor who had just helped her in a moment of crisis? Lynette carefully apologized while gauging Luth’s reaction.
“I’m sorry, I was just so preoccupied with other things. But what brings you to this deep part of the palace?”
Luth just blinked silently as he looked at Lynette. Could he have followed her? But there would be no reason for him to do so.
“Did you perhaps get lost?”
“…On my way back from a mission, it looked dangerous.”
Lynette opened her eyes wide and pointed at herself with her finger. Seeing this, Luth nodded slowly.
‘So he followed because I looked like I was in danger?’
In the end, it was very helpful. Although it did give her quite a scare.
“No joke, I really should bill Her Majesty the Empress for my heart…”
“…Shall I help?”
“With which? The spare heart, or what I’m doing right now?”
“…Both are possible.”
No, the former sounds a bit dangerous. Lynette raised her hand to stop him when she noticed Luth’s eyes glinting. He really looked ready to go and extract someone’s heart.
Luth, was it? Judging by his quiet demeanor and talent for concealment, it seemed he could be entrusted with the task of finding the missing head maid.
Above all, he was a member under Lebel, who had declared his loyalty to the Empress. Surely he could be trusted. As long as she didn’t let slip why she was searching, it should be fine.
‘The only problem is that Luth doesn’t know what the head maid looks like.’
Though the mercenary group was staying at the palace, they were still outsiders. It was uncertain how well things would go, but nothing could be certain until she tried.
“Luth. If you happen to see a head maid with a bandage on one hand inside the palace, could you let me know? All the maids wear white clothes, so it should be easy to distinguish.”
“…Of course.”
He agreed more readily than expected. Though quiet, he somehow inspired trust. Come to think of it, since he was part of the mercenary group, she should offer payment, but how much would be appropriate?
“How much should I pay you? I’ll try to match it as best I can.”
“…It’s fine.”
With just those words, Luth vanished like the wind. It happened so quickly that Lynette was left standing there blankly, murmuring regretfully.
“If I’d known, I should have asked him to find the locket pendant too.”
But she wasn’t entirely comfortable passing on the task Ilarid had given her to someone else. She had at least asked for help with one task, so she should handle the other one herself.
‘A head maid in white clothes. Bandage on one hand.’
Luth mentally noted the description of the person Lynette had mentioned. Finding one person shouldn’t be too difficult, but this was the imperial palace.
No matter how well he concealed his presence, it would take time to move around, search everywhere, and gather information.
Still, he was on his way back after completing the mission Lebel had assigned. He should have some time to spare. If nothing else, he was confident in his ability to move silently through the darkness.
The captain returned to the quarters in the early dawn. Luth, who had been crouching in front of the door, stood up.
“Why not wait inside instead of out here?”
“…Didn’t want to enter without permission.”
“Did you sleep?”
“…Enough. And here.”
Luth handed over a note. On the paper Lebel received was a detailed account of Tamiel’s usual movements.
Normally, Tamiel would spend almost all day in the prison tower, but now that he couldn’t even do that, he was constantly going back and forth between his residence and taverns. The job seemed like it would be easier than expected.
After confirming the contents, Lebel gently patted Luth’s shoulder.
“Good work, Luth. Thank you.”
“…I’ll explain the details separately.”
“We start within a week. Get ready by then.”
“…Understood.”
Luth bowed his head and returned to the quarters. He was the youngest in the Rikas mercenary group. His presence was so faint that people who didn’t live with him could hardly notice him.
But his inconspicuous presence shone in covert missions like assassinations. At a glance, he seemed to possess abilities similar to the captain, Lebel. Though different in nature, he became the best partner for this kind of work.
“I’m counting on you this time too.”
Lebel murmured quietly, looking at the place where Luth had departed.
**
“Entered at night and left at dawn…”
Kailem quietly lowered his head after finishing his report. He tried not to show any outward signs of agitation. The head chamberlain standing nearby also kept silent, reading the atmosphere.
Anyone could see that Cledius was in a foul mood right now. He looked ready to draw his sword and cut someone down at the slightest disturbance in the office.
Sitting crookedly in his chair, he let out a hollow laugh. A laugh devoid of interest or amusement. It was mixed with anger. His face, hidden behind his hand, was frozen cold.
“…I wonder if it was a satisfying night.”
How were the nights spent with Ilarid? The memories were now faint.
His wife, who showed little reaction on their wedding night or during the monthly unions. The surrounding evaluations of her were quite harsh. Some described Ilarid as a wooden woman who didn’t know how to flatter or speak sweet words.
Even after annihilating the Melpiram family, the unions continued uninterrupted. She endured the oncoming pain without making even a soft moan, keeping her eyes closed.
Tough. Every time a union ended, Cledius thought that as he left the Empress’s palace. Calling her wooden was an understatement. Seeing her endure all the contempt and blasphemy Cledius poured out, she seemed almost like a human made of steel.
Nevertheless, she caught his eye. How could this steadfast person be broken? How long would it take for this unwavering person to crumble? Ilarid was an enigmatic woman who raised questions in Cledius.
“She’d choose to break rather than bend.”
But Cledius had the card of ‘union’. It was also a phrase from the that Ilarid had so desperately adhered to.
The duty to produce offspring to continue the noble imperial bloodline. A sacred realm where the ‘shadow’ could never set foot. A position Lebel could never reach.
“It’s a mistake to think it’s his. She’s been mine since the moment we first met.”
Does Lebel even know? About Ilarid who used to ride horses freely. About her who tied her hair in a ponytail and smiled freshly.
But that was just a memory of the past. The current Ilarid had embraced Lebel and spent the night with him.
‘Ilarid, is this how you felt? It’s dirtier than I expected.’
He didn’t expect to understand the other person’s feelings by experiencing it like this. It felt like biting into a nicely prepared fruit only to chew on a stiff peel as well.
Even though he was said to be a terminally ill man who would die soon, it naturally bothered him too much to ignore.
As if spitting out the foreign substance in his mouth, Cledius spoke to the servant in front of him.
“Call the Empress’s personal physician tomorrow morning.”
The period between unions had been truly long. Right now, Ilarid looked healthier than ever before. It was clearly different from before when she was barely maintaining her sanity. This time, she wouldn’t be able to make any excuses.
“And have the Captain of the Guards closely monitor the location where the mercenary group is stationed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will obey your command.”
The fact that a face once filled only with the desire for revenge now showed signs of different vitality evoked strange emotions. Cledius frowned, roughly shaking his head.
‘It must be because of that guy. Did she fall for him from the moment they first met?’
Despite the rough mercenary life, he had quite a handsome appearance. It was as if all the attacks aimed at him had miraculously missed his face by some irresistible force, leaving it intact. Could Ilarid have been swayed just by his looks?
“And one more thing. When you meet the mercenary captain, be sure to relay these words.”
Cledius rose from his chair and approached Kailem. Then, placing a hand on his shoulder, he whispered softly.
“…Tell him to act appropriately, considering the time and place.”
It was a kind of warning. And words with hidden meaning. Kailem bit the inside of his lip upon hearing the Emperor’s order.
**
For the first time in a long while, she hadn’t dreamed. Had sleep always been this sweet? Ilarid didn’t want to wake up.
‘Lebel is probably beside me.’
Was he not awake yet? She carefully stretched out her arm while lying on her side. But she felt nothing.
The only sensation that touched her hand was the leather-covered scabbard.
Lebel had left, leaving behind only a single sword. He had truly just ‘slept’ and left the Empress’s palace. It was quite a diligent mission performance for the first night sent as a ‘shadow’.
Could it have been a dream? Lebel’s visit, him embracing her and laying her on the bed – it all felt like something that happened in a dream.
But the wrinkles on the bed sheet were clear evidence that he had been there.
Ilarid lifted the sword with both hands. She could feel its full weight. It seemed too heavy for her to even swing.
‘What kind of mercenary leaves just their sword behind and goes somewhere…’
Carefully, she gripped the sword handle and pulled it out with force. With a swooshing sound, the gleaming blade unfolded before her.
When she had drawn about half of it, a faint letter caught her eye. It was quite an elegantly engraved word, perhaps specially inscribed by the craftsman. Ilarid took the sword to the window and held it up to the sunlight.
[Ilarid]That was clearly engraved on the blade.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
__________
Daily Life of a Scumbag Man Giving Birth (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The way for a promiscuous scumbag man to atone for his sins is to let him get… pregnant.
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, scammed countless women, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to scam them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.